The Promise and Problem of a Big GOP Field

Republican voters like having plenty of options but could quickly sour on negative campaigns.

The Republican presidential primary is a jumbled mass of competitors, with new ones joining the jostling for support seemingly every week. Meanwhile, the Democrats have more a coronation than a contest, with one figure ignoring the rabble en route to the nomination.

So why did a May 18 Pew Research Centerpoll find that 57% of Republicans have an excellent or good impression of their party’s candidates, while 54% of Democrats have an...